Balotelli Meets.... David Marsden

Welcome to Balotelli Meets… a series of interviews where Mario Balotelli’s takes the time to go and speak to EC2’s finest.

Today, we are in Division 1 and the manager is David Marsden. He has been in EC2 since 2008 and has been in charge at Grimsby for 835 games.

DAVID  - PERSONAL PROFILE

Full Name: David Marsden
Born: Tralfamadore  
Favourite football team: Manchester United
Favourite film: Looking for Eric
Car: A red one 
Best sport to watch: Football, Moto GP
Phone, tablet or laptop to play SM: Phone, laptop
If you could have any job in the world what would it be: None
If you could attend any sporting event in the world what would it be: 1999 CL Final  

(1) MB:  Thanks for inviting me to your local in Grimsby David, so tell about your dedication to Grimsby? Do you have cod blood flowing through your veins? Are you just descended from fishermen? Or is it something else?

DM: I was brought up near Grimsby, and later lived there and in Cleethorpes. So I always pick Grimsby Town if they're available in these kind of football manager games. Or Bolton, where I studied. Personally, and like most Grimbarians, I prefer haddock to cod, but I have never caught a fish in my life.

(2) MB: Have you ever been tempted to leave Lincolnshire? It must have been very difficult in the beginning? It is hard to imagine that you have never been approached or offered more appealing roles? What would it take you to leave? 

DM: I have been tempted to leave Lincolnshire, as it's a god awful place, Grimsby in particular. So the virtual commute suits me just fine (and Juan Mata, too).

(3) MB: Who is your longest serving and most loyal player at Grimsby? And if you had to pick your all-time favourite 6 a side Grimsby team from past and present who would they be and why?

DM:  No idea. It would nice if SM held this kind of historical info. Currently, maybe Miguel Britos, or Claudio Bravo? Or Juraj Kucka? Include those with your pick from Mata, and former stars Ryan Giggs, Erik Lamela, Mario Mandzukic (big mistake selling him when I did), Wesley Sneijder, Lukas Podolski and Mamadou Niang (who scored a hatful of goals).

(4) MB: You personally have been here more than 800 games through the highs and the lows, (first high being the Season 8 Div 4 title) what was for you the lowest point for example? And did any particular player help you get through that time?

DM: The lowest point was undoubtedly our struggle to get out of D3, which took way too long. I changed my strategy a few season's ago, though, and it's paid dividends.

(5) MB: Before this afternoon’s meeting I rang around all of my Manager’s friends… Syed, Libaan, Scott, Adriano, Aaron, Michael (couldn’t get hold of Ian though) and no one had anything but praise for you… so as opposed to asking you about Grimsby’s and your own personal rivals in EC2, which current and past manager do you admire the most and why?

DM: EC2 is a great league to be in because it's so very competitive with so many active, opinionated and ambitious managers. You have to give due respect to what Doncaster have achieved from humble beginnings, and really no one else comes close in terms of building a successful club from the bottom up, and over many seasons. Ian's not one to blow his own trumpet or put other managers down, either, which is nice. He's really the only one to consistently challenge and then knock Scott off his perch, also. But I have to give special mention to my old mate Michael and his achievements at Darlington. He's built a great, young and successful squad, and always makes very astute signings. Should be regular title contenders over the coming seasons.

(6) MB: If you could have changed anything from those early EC2 seasons with Grimsby what would they be and why?

DM: I would have paid more attention to what was going on in the wider football world in real life, and the transfer market in EC2. But I was probably too busy with other things.

(7) MB: On 7^th April 2014 – Grimsby v Huddersfield – English Shield Final? Talk us through what that meant to the fans at Wembley?

DM: All I remember is feeling desperately sad for Huddersfield, who got relegated, too, I think.

(8) MB: Earlier this year – You delighted everyone involved in SM and EC2 with achieving promotion to Division One… talk us through those moments after the final whistle blew, that game and the night after? How did you react? And how did your players react? Were there any tears? Players going crazy because they’d bet on Grimsby to win the league and had just won their seasons wages in a day?

DM: To be honest, after gaining just 4 points from our first six games last season, we went on to totally dominate that league, although Swindon did put up a challenge towards the end before they faded and just scraped over the finishing line. So, we really knew we were up a long time before the end, although you always worry you might go on a run of defeats and blow it. So a mixture of relief and satisfaction.

(9) MB: And then only a few days/weeks later you did it again… winning the SMFA Shield. What a fabulous game and moment in your career. What are your memories of the match? Who scored etc?

DM: I honestly don't member who scored! But it was a great victory against a very strong Chelsea team, for whom even Messi could not find a way past my two rocks, Britos and Bravo!

(10) MB: One of the new managers Lee Adams at Bournemouth has claimed that his chairman has promised to build a new 70000 seater stadium to match with the clubs ambition. How is your own relationship with the board at Grimsby? Has it ever been strained? Have they supported you since you got promoted to Division One?

DM: I am fortunate that my Chairman has very low expectations!

(11) MB: Many people raised an eyebrow when you signed John Terry earlier this season… some were quietly critical of both yourself and Beddows for the deal, tell us how he has settled in and more importantly how are you managing to keep him under control? Is he allowed at club social events with the other player’s wives for example? Obviously it was reported by Matteo DF (former Liverpool manager and magician) that after a match earlier this season against Liverpool that John had to be forcibly removed by Micah Richards from Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s wife afterwards. Is that true? What happened?

DM:  I don't talk about the players' private lives. John Terry is still one of the best defenders in the game and he is very important to Grimsby this season. Let's just say that for a defender, he scores regularly, and he is very handy in the tackle. 

(12) MB:  Finally, the last question that Balotelli asks all managers, if you could have your pick of any club in the EC2, who would you like to manage and why?

DM: After so long with Grimsby, I couldn't manage another team.